Real Estate Networks

Metro Atlanta has been growing consistently for the last 100 years to a population of more than 3 million people in the ten county metropolitan area today. Logistic growth since 1990 has been characterized by urban sprawl.

Urban sprawl is studied periodically by market industrialists proposing solutions to manage and decongest evolving traffic impediments. One such solution was the Outer Loop which, proposed in 1967 to Governor Zell Miller, promised to attract new investors and increase economic development. Today, a think tank working out of Gwinnett County is proposing an idea they call the Brain Train, a 12-stop commuter rail connecting Athens to Atlanta running along existing rights of way, which promises improved traffic patterns, environmental benefits as well as economic growth to the participating counties.

What does this mean to you? Sprawl results in more opportunity for private enterprise which brings more people in from beyond the reaches of the metro area, investors from other states as well as people from other continents. This means more demand for real estate, both residential and commercial, along with improved employment opportunities, an enviable situation for any region. As demand for available real estate increases, the value of homes increases, a lesson in classical economics the real estate investor well understands.

With metro Atlanta’s population forecast to reach six million by 2030, you may wish to invest in a real estate purchase of your own.

To do more research on how this is affecting prices in the local market, visit the benhirsh.com/Nav.aspx/Page=/IDX/Default.aspx/MID=9576&LinkID=1387 Atlanta MLS Search Page.

Ben Hirsh is an active Realtor and an expert on benhirsh.com Atlanta Real Estate He can be reached at 678-779-7702.

Selling a home in today’s South Florida housing market is no simple undertaking. Since last summer of 2006, the list of homes for sale has grown two-fold in Palm Beach County and three-fold in Broward. As a consequence, many home owners are shifting their focus to gimmicks, perks, and well-connected real estate brokers for much needed help in selling their homes. While these alternative approaches might turn out to be successful, real estate experts believe that in due course, the most effective formula is offering a well-maintained home at a reasonable price.

Due to the surplus of inventory, sellers must be realistic when it comes to pricing their homes. Indeed, pricing is everything in a South Florida housing market that is facing a transition towards a buyers market. Real estate agents generally agree that in today’s market conditions, a helpful rule of thumb to determine if homes are priced correctly is to examine if the list price comes in between 1% to 3% above the prevailing market value.

For sellers to ensure that their homes are not listed for some absurd price, picking the right South Florida realtor is imperative. Prospective buyers are getting savvy due to the increasing number of options that they are presented with, and thus they don’t want to get ripped off by improper pricing.

The five-year boom that took place in the South Florida housing market within the period 2000-2005 engrossed thousands of aspiring real estate agents nationwide. Many of them acquired real estate licenses, carrying hopes of cashing in with rapid sales and hefty commissions, despite the fact that they possess little or no experience in the real estate profession. With the existence of an ensemble of agents in the South Florida housing market, the wisest decision sellers can take is to hire seasoned agents within the area, i.e., those who are well-experienced in marketing homes in taxing market conditions. Experienced agents have the advantage of drawing on their widely connected network of contacts, enabling them to bring as much exposure to homes for sale as possible.

According to the Florida Association of Realtors, year-over-year existing single-family home sales dropped in June by 34% in Broward County and by 39% in Palm Beach County. The general opinion from real estate experts link the transition of the South Florida real estate market from a sellers market to a buyers market with the occurrence of Hurricane Wilma that ravaged South Florida in October 2005.

In a buyer’s market such as South Florida housing market, home sellers must think out of the box in order to seize people’s attention. Some real estate agents recommend sellers to start advertising in international journals and magazines, rather than just in local multiple listing services, because a large number of prospective buyers are foreigners from abroad.

Another crucial tip that sellers might do is staging homes to create great first impressions to prospective buyers. Among the things that this tip suggests is minimizing clutter in kitchens and closets, getting rid of unpleasant odors, packaging unnecessary things for proper storage, cleaning up the house in general, mowing the lawn and providing landscaping, and many other ideas that can be thought of while putting oneself in a buyer’s perspective.

With florida-mortgage.xon.us” target=”_blank Florida mortgage loans and home prices rising a significant percentage from last year, these out-of-the-box ideas would definitely be worth the added effort.

Dranreb Earl Juanico

floridamortgagebroker.us floridamortgagebroker.us

The very first Jackson, MI real estate purchase occurred in 1829 and consisted of 160 acres at a price of $2.00 per acre. Although the prices are not as good today as they were then, it is always a good idea to own some real estate. Jackson, MI might be a good place to start looking.

Originally named Jacksonburg, the name was shortened to Jackson after only nine years. Located in the south-central area of Michigan, south of Lansing, west of Ann Arbor and Detroit, it is the county seat of Jackson County. Major employers include CMS Energy, Foote Hospital and Michigan Automotive Compressor. At the last census, the average income for a family was around $40,000 per year.

A recent search for Jackson, MI real estate for sale returned a list of over 1600 single family, town-homes, condominiums and lofts. At least 900 of these had asking prices of $200,000 or less. Rather than price per acre, many listings now show price per square foot. For example, a home in the Queens area on South Higby Street is priced at $179,900. That price is equivalent to $97 per square foot.

In 2006, nationwide price increases were seen in real estate, Jackson, MI and the surrounding areas were some of the few exceptions. These markets saw decreases in average sales prices by as much as 7%. The real estate agents in these areas made a 6% commission on the average. If the homeowner on Higby Street is able to get the asking price of $179,900, she will pay $10,794, just in commission.

Commissions are high on real estate; Jackson, MI is no exception to this rule. Some realtors are even advertising “low” 3 or 4 percent commissions, as a way to attract new sellers. That’s still equivalent to thousands of dollars. Homeowners with little or no equity are making little or no profit. In fact, people who must sell their home quickly are sometimes losing money.

Buyers of Jackson, MI real estate are typically found paying all of the closing costs. Sellers paying high commissions and making little or no profit are not likely to help with closing costs. In addition, lenders typically want prospective buyers to pay at least 5% down, that’s another $9000 on the Higby Street home. Buyers with problematic credit are typically required to put more money down or pay higher interest rates, if they can qualify at all.

Both buyers and sellers need options. The number of “for sale by owner” listings are on the rise. Sadly, so is the number of foreclosures. Our recent search for Jackson, MI real estate foreclosures returned 223 results.

One option that is becoming increasingly popular is “rent-to-own” or a lease option agreement. When handled properly, this option can keep a property out of foreclosure; put more money in the sellers pocket and, not the least of all, help the buyer as well.

A lease option agreement “locks in” the price of the property. For the seller, this means that she will not be forced to reduce the price in order to complete the sale quickly. For the buyer, this means that if the property appreciates in value (which they usually do), he will not be forced to pay the higher price.

A lease option agreement helps the property owner make the mortgage payments, keeping the property out of foreclosure, even if the owner already has another mortgage to pay. The same agreement helps the prospective homeowner save for a down payment. Buyers and sellers agree on a monthly rental that is affordable, pays the mortgage and has an amount “set aside” which goes towards the buyer’s eventual down payment.

If the seller chooses not to use a realtor for the final sale, a lease option agreement can mean thousands more in profits. If a buyer finds his own loan, he avoids paying mortgage broker fees.

People with credit problems that might not qualify for a conventional loan can usually qualify for a lease option program. In addition, there are legal credit repair programs that can increase a person’s credit score by hundreds of points in a matter of months. This can be an advantage to anyone with less than excellent credit, because the higher the credit score, the lower the interest rate. Lower interest rates can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars, in the long run. In the short term, lower interest rates mean lower monthly payments or shorter mortgage periods.

These are only some of the advantages of a lease option or rent to own program. 2006 saw nationwide increases in rental amounts on real estate. Jackson, MI was, once again, no exception. Even though, sales prices were down, rental prices were up. Renting a home is almost like throwing money away for years and years. Buying a home is an investment in the future. People who own their home when they retire have many more options than people who have rented all of their lives.

Whether you are buying or selling Jackson, MI real estate, take a closer look at the lease option or rent-to-own properties. The advantages can be numerous.

Dan Ho is a real estate investor in Southeast Michigan. Visit us now at buy-sell-michigan-real-estate.com buy-sell-michigan-real-estate.com to learn how experienced real estate investors can help you sell and buy homes quickly and easily.

If you are thinking of mortgage refinancing then there is one thing you might want to know and that is - you should stay away from ARMs ( adjustable rate mortgages ) …

And if you are wondering why anybody would want to do that, especially since ARMs promise such low interest rates, well here’s why …

Adjustable rate mortgages are a great idea when the interest rates are all set to go down for the next several years …

And interest rates go down only when the Government wants to increase consumer spending. Interest rates go down when the Government is looking at ways to stimulate the economy, boost consumer spending …

But you might want to ponder whether this is the case now …

Consumer spending is extremely good and real estate prices are increasing at record growth rates that may not have been seen before. In fact, in some areas the rates are so high that some experts are actually wondering if anyone but the really rich can actually own property there.

And if the real estate prices keep increasing at the same or even higher rates for a long time, then possibly only the rich will actually be able to buy any houses in many areas …

And if that happens, the housing markets might actually see steep fall in prices because most of the people cannot afford houses … and due to this, lots and lots of houses might remain unsold.

Would that be a healthy trend then ? If you think it’s not, well … that might be something even the Government might not want that to happen …

And what do they do to prevent very high inflation … like what is discussed above ?

The answer : They increase the interest rates …

And when interest rates increase, adjustable rate mortgages increase too … and if the interest rates increase significantly, the adjustable rates increase significantly too …

That’s possibly why you might want to stay away from adjustable rate mortgages.

And what do you choose instead? Well, you might want to consider fixed rate mortgages … since the possibility of fixed rate mortgages increasing is relatively low.

And here is one other thing you may want to do before you consider refinancing, and that is …

Get Multiple Refinance Quotes …

And why would you want to do that?

Well, let’s say you have 10 refinance quotes to choose from instead of a single quote … you now get to know what the market conditions are, you now get to see the lowest rate you can have, you now get to analyze the terms much better …

And one happy coincidence of all this is that you may make a much, much better decision about refinancing …

You are actually educating yourself in the process, and saving a lot of money too.

And remember - you might want to consider fixed rate mortgages instead of adjustable rate mortgages.

Gurubhakt is a writer and publisher who has written several articles on mortgage refinancing including a few for low-rate-refinance.com low-rate-refinance.com which discusses why fixed rate mortgages may be better than adjustable rate mortgages right now and why several refinance quotes may be needed to make the right decision on mortgage refinancing.

To see how you can invest less than 10 minutes and have several refinance quotes, you might want to see low-rate-refinance.com low-rate-refinance.com

A “bad market” in this instance means a real estate market where there is little to no appreciation, the market is clogged with unsold houses, depressing sales and foreclosures are up; torpedoing home values.

So clearly, the traditional, “buy, fix up and flip” or buy and sell to a rehabber is not going to work in this environment. In fact, it is those very flippers who were late to the party or just plain greedy and are now bailing out and dumping their properties, that are helping to drive down home sales and prices.

So what is a real estate investor to do to make some quick money, especially if he or she is new or has no resources, which describes many flippers?

The solution to this dilemma lies in understanding the needs of property owners who have to sell in the reality of today’s market.

People looking to sell in this environment are going to have problems; huge problems if they are forced to sell at this time.

The houses will sit on the market for months with no offers or very low offers. The homes value will slowly erode as the homeowner waits for Godot.

In fact, many people are or will be trapped in their homes; perhaps unable to afford to stay, unable to sell; especially if they have little or no equity in their homes.

In order to get out of their homes, they would have to bring cash to the closing and “buy” their way out of the house. This is impractical for most people, especially if their need to sell is financial as many are.

Rising mortgage payments, the result of financially incongruous mortgages, so prevalent during the recently departed “Boom;” called for “Resets” a few years after origination at 50-100% increases in payments.

Now, many of these families are unable to afford to keep their homes.

Job losses, divorce, illness and death are the other primary motivators that force people to sell their homes as soon as possible, regardless of market conditions.

Most people who have bought their homes or refinanced to “consolidate their debts” in recent years have very little equity in their homes. This means they can’t lower their prices to meet the soft market or they will need to bring money to the closing to make up the deficit between their selling price and the fees and expenses of the sale.

These people need help, desperately.

If they cannot get out from under their homes, they face the ruination of their finances for decades to come. Contrary to popular belief, they cannot just “send the keys to the bank” and walk away, free of their troubled property.

If the bank forecloses and sells the property for less than they were owed, the homeowner would be liable for the difference and/or be subject to income tax on the deficient amount! Don’t ask. It’s just IRS rules.

The only way for these unfortunate homeowners to get out of the frying pan, is to get into the fire! If the homeowner filed bankruptcy, it would protect him from the deficiency judgment and the income taxes due on it.

Herein lies the opportunity to make fast money!

Find these people who are trapped in their homes and help them get out of their nightmare. Refer them to experienced real estate investors who can help them get rid of their property.

The investor will either pay you a small fee for the lead, or pay you a larger fee, say a percentage of the profits, when he or she disposes of the property.

The key is to be flexible. The real estate market changes and you must change tactics if you are to make money in the new environment.

Don’t be like the rat who repeatedly went back to the box his cheese used to be stored in, even though it was no longer there.

Duck hunting season is over, Bunky; so go look for some turkeys!

Copyright 2006 Bill Young. Bill is a Financial Personal Trainer. He trains groups and individuals on how to Quit the Rat Race and find financial independence in a few short years. He has 20 years experience as a real estate investor and personal financial consultant. He offers a free, 1 year course in real estate investing, MotivatedSellersOnline.com MotivatedSellersOnline.com as well as free weekly lessons on how to solve your money problems: HowtoSolveYourMoneyProblems.Com HowtoSolveYourMoneyProblems.Com.

Home inventory in Maryland is building as home sales slow. If you plan on putting your Maryland home on the market anytime soon, it will have to be competitively priced or designed to sell. If you want to make the most profit possible, without cutting the costs, you may want to consider taking out a home equity loan to polish the appearance of your house and get it ready for the sale.

When to Take Out the Loan

While many people choose to take out a Maryland home equity loan to make repairs on a house they intend to sell, there is one catch—you have to take out the loan before you put the home on the market. Most lenders aren’t willing to give out loans against a property that is for sale. The good news is that once you have the money in hand, you can put your house on the market immediately.

Choosing a Loan

If you plan on selling your home soon after taking out the loan, you may want to consider getting an interest only home equity loan. This will help to keep payments low, and since you will be paying off the balance at closing, it will significantly reduce your out of pocket costs. Checking into a home equity loan with low or reduced closing costs will also be to your benefit.

Making the Repairs

The type of repairs that you should make with your home equity loan depends on what state your Maryland home is in. Curb appeal is always important, but so are items like structure and heating systems. Three of the most productive, market tested places to invest in when doing a makeover on your Maryland home are the kitchen, the bathroom, and general paint and trim work.

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If you are in the market for a mortgage loan you are probably concerned about finding the most competitive interest rate for your new loan. Shopping for your mortgage from a variety of mortgage lenders will help you find the best interest rate. Here are several tips to help you qualify for the most competitive interest rate when refinancing your mortgage.

Shop Around for the Best Rate

Finding the most competitive loan offer is going to take some work. You’ll need to do your homework before applying for a loan. Familiarize yourself with mortgage terminology before researching loan offers and you’ll have an easier time comparing loan offers. Use the Internet to quickly locate quotes from a variety of online lenders.

Mortgage Brokers Can Help

A mortgage broker could help you with the legwork required in finding mortgage offers. A broker is basically a salesperson that receives a commission for referring you to a lender. Mortgage brokers have extensive contacts in the industry and can provide loan offers that you may not find on your own. Using a broker could save you time and headache when refinancing your mortgage.

Request a Good Faith Estimate

When you compare mortgage offers it is not enough to base your decision solely on the Annual Percentage Rate. Request a Good Faith Estimate from each lender you are considering and compare all aspects of the loan offers. The Good Faith Estimate will provide you the most accurate comparison of loan costs. You can learn more about qualifying for the most competitive interest rate by registering for a free mortgage guidebook.

To get your free mortgage guidebook visit RefiAdvisor.com using the link below.

Louie Latour specializes in showing homeowners how to avoid common mortgage mistakes and predatory lenders. For a free copy of “

If you are facing foreclosure on your home, you are not alone! Millions of home owners will lose their homes in the next few years.

Mortgage payments will skyrocket as $1 Trillion dollars of adjustable rate mortgages adjust. Their payments are based on indexes such as the prime rate that will be 3 or 4 times higher than they were when the loans were taken out. In spite of the adjustment caps that most of these loans have, these homeowners will see their payments jump 20-40%.

Once these new payments hit, budgets will be stretched, banjo-string tight. The reason most people took adjustable rate loans was because they could not afford the payments they will now be forced to make.

On top of that, the housing market is already slowing. In many parts of the country, unsold housing inventory is doubling, homes remain unsold for 60 days or more and stocks of home builders are down by 1/3 or more. Prices are falling, even in New York and California.

All this means that these cash-strapped people will no longer be able to refinance to a lower payment. Also, George Bush’s new bankruptcy law will prevent them from wiping out their credit card debt to free up cash to pay their mortgage.

Therefore, the slightest interruption of their incomes will put most of these people into a downward spiral which will toss them and their families into the street.

If you or someone you know is potentially in this situation, listen up!

There is help available, if you act at the first sign of trouble. One of the best sources of help, is your lender!

They do not want your home. Industry statistics show that it costs lenders between $30-$50,000 to foreclose and dispose of a house. Banks also get demerits from banking regulators for having non-performing assets (your delinquent mortgage) on their books.

In fact, banks have staffers whose job it is to help you avoid foreclosure. This may not be obvious to you as you attempt to locate them and negotiate a resolution of your problem.

That is mainly due to the fact that you may be dealing with the wrong bank! Just because you send your payments to your bank, does not mean that they own your mortgage. They may be the “servicing” bank, merely collecting payments on your mortgage, which was probably sold the day after your closing. It may have been sold many times thereafter, perhaps ending up in a bundle of mortgages sold to Wall Street or even China!

These entities have their own requirements and procedures for working with delinquent borrowers. Your best bet to Save Your Home is to work with a knowledgeable professional who will know which lender to deal with and how to present your case in the best light.

Your lawyer is a good place to start, but act quickly. The earlier you take action, the more options will be available to you.

Copyright 2005 Bill Young. Bill is a former bank mortgage officer, a personal financial consultant vice president of the Foreclosure Negotiators of America. His website is: SaveMyHomeLLC.Com SaveMyHomeLLC.Com

When selling a home its vitally important to showcase the home’s exterior features. While it is usually a home’s interior features that sell a person, it is definitely the exterior features that create the original interest and draw their attention. Typically, internet listings start with a picture of the home’s front. Additionally, the exterior is the first thing seen when driving by. Upon first sight of a home, and impression is formed by a prospective buyer. It is extremely important that this impression be a positive one; one that stirs interest and piques the buyer’s curiosity.

Take some time to consider what your home’s strongest exterior selling points are. Usually these will be things like distinct landscaping, a nice porch, well tended gardens and the general condition of the home. At the first glance, your home must leave a lasting visual impression that will set the property apart from the others that it is competing with. Now, set about showcasing them by making sure that they are in top-notch condition. If you wish, you can add some value and attraction by improving on these or by adding new aspects to enchant buyers.

Adding new features to the home’s exterior is time well spent as the image that your home presents to the viewer can never be too strong. Great features for yards include touches like new fencing. If they yard’s fences are old and decrepit, falling over, or in a general state of disarray it can impact negatively on a home’s image. New strong and most of all, fencing that improves privacy is a great asset for any home. Another great selling asset is creatively designed gardens. Bright flowers are a scenic touch that will always improve the appearance of a home. Make sure that gardens are weed free and clean to get the most bang for your gardening buck. Now, how is the home itself looking? In preparing your home for sale, one of the best ideas is a new coat of paint. This will bring new life to the exterior and make the home much cleaner looking as years of wear and environmental wear will be eliminated. Be mindful of the damage potential of environmental factors such as sun and snow, they can cause a lot of wear and tear to a home.

Matt Barker is a real estate professional specializing in saint-paul-real-estate.com Saint Paul real estate. Matt’s dedication to excellence in the world of real estate is what makes Barker & Hedges the premier real estate team in Saint Paul. saint-paul-real-estate.com/contact.php Contact Matt for more information today.

The United States real estate market has been unstable since the events that took place in 2006; a year that was supposed to be a slight price correction but has turned out to be much more than that.

The dreaded “R” word (recession) was loosely tossed around here and there towards the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2006 but by the end of the year sales began climbing once again, leaving many economists to predict the correction was end by midway through 2007.

But the start of 2007 has been less than advertised in terms of increasing sales and a stabilizing market as the same economists are now predicting the correction to last until the end of the year.

The article, “Alan Greenspan and the ‘R’ Word,” written February 28, 2007 by Henry Savage and posted on Realty Times, explains how the U.S. real estate market may be in for more hard times before even thinking about a successful rebound.

“He may not be the Fed Chief anymore, but folks still listen to him. On February 26th, Alan Greenspan warned that the U.S. Economy could slip into recession by the end of this year.”
“During a satellite link to a business conference in Hong Kong, Greenspan suggested that there are signs that the current economic expansion, which began in 2001, is coming to an end. As an example, he noted that profit margins in the U.S. have begun to stabilize, ‘which is an early sign we are in the later stages of a cycle.’”

Forecasters have been predicting the best possible outcome for the housing market over the past couple years but Greenspan said that many economists are now predicting a slowdown through at least some of 2008. First the correction was supposed to take place in early to mid 2007, then by the end of 2007 and now sometime in 2008.

Even as the housing slump digs in deeper every month, just about every professional in the industry laughs at the idea of seriously considering a recession is possible.

But housing vales have undoubtedly dropped but consumer spending is not expected to support even lower prices.

“Regarding the housing niche of the American economy, it seems to me there are two major issues that will indeed curtail consumer spending. First, the liquidity that poured into the economy as a result of the refinance boom no longer exists. Second, homeowners are feeling less wealthy because their homes are no longer skyrocketing in value. Even for folks who don’t plan on selling anytime soon, the psychological effect when one’s biggest asset no longer appreciating, or even losing some value, is likely to curb spending.”

If a recession does come to pass it should not be as negative and lasting as in the past and will be good news for the millions of prospective home buyers who are currently priced out of the market.

If you own property, do not worry. Real estate always appreciates over time. The only people a recession would really affect are homeowners trying to sell and avid investors.
A recession may never happen but the rebound does not appear to be in the near future either.

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